Re: Brinkster (Was - A gift for a Happy New Year)

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I'm so glad it worked. I spent a lot of time on the Brinkster site figuring it out, so I'm happy to pass on my experience.

Subject: Re: A gift for a Happy New YearTo: Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 11:10 AM

Lonna-You are awesome! It has taken a few days, but it's finally done.Thanks for giving me the directions in very simple steps. The photois up and viewable, although my image editing skills are pitiful so itlooks a little fuzzy to me. And the links are all active now. Eureka!Yolanda> >> > On Christmas eve, after I finished seeing a patient in the

otherwise> > holiday-deserted office park where I am subleasing space, I sat at my> > computer to enter the visit in Amazing Charts. A big pop-up appeared> > to warn that my 90 day trial had ended. Amazing timing, because it> > forced me to reflect that my new venture into solo practice was> > officially 3 months old. Further, that week was the first time since> > opening that I was scheduled each day of the week! ...Okay, just> > allow me to bypass that Christmas day was a closed day. > > > > This was a defining moment for me. > > > > When I finished med school in NJ and then family medicine residency in> > NYC, I truly never thought of solo practice. Malpractice premiums,> > office overhead, education loans were all compelling reasons to find> > contentment as an employed, fully-benefitted family physician.

Ten> > years later, I found myself having graduated from an Integrative> > Medicine fellowship and newly relocated to the South but still crying> > my way home on my super-commute after cranking out inhumane numbers of> > patients in 8, oops 11+ hour days. I was no where near the family doc> > I had dreamed of being. On one especially trying day, with the added> > dis-incentive that my employer had not paid me in 4 weeks- long story,> > I decided no more. I decided that having mutually valued relationships> > with my patients, my family, and, ultimately, myself was my true> > dream. Only problem- I had no plan; a lot of faith in the rightness> > of my choice to jump off the hamster wheel, but no plan whatsoever. > > > > Shortly after, I met Dr. T. Wang at a functional medicine conference> > and was introduced to

practiceimprovement 1. OMG! I spent weeks up> > all night catching up on the archived posts. I had found a path and> > virtual support for my 'special purpose' indeed. I took a> > microentrepreneur course that I found through SBA- a truly priceless> > investment for a non-business minded person like me. A car accident> > on the way home from a grueling locums spot led me to a very popular> > local chiropractor with lots of beautifully finished space that he> > wondered if an integrative doc like me might be interested in sharing.> > (Yes! Compared with the local options that I had dishearteningly> > rejected because of the really high rates in our area, this was an> > amazing opportunity. ) > > > > Then, at IMP camp in Rochester this summer, I knew that I had found my> > people (and so stated, many times!) While it has taken

a few months> > to get the supplies and licensing/regulator y stuff together, and to> > get the website up and running using my very limited skills, my> > solo-solo defining moment that this is real came with that little> > pop-up from AC on Christmas eve. > > > > My gift to myself for a Happy New Year was to confirm my purchase and> > for me to really confirm my new life as a family doc with lots of> > integrative tools in my bag able to build healthcare relationships in> > a way that honors my patients, my family, and myself. > > > > The particulars: solo-solo; one general exam room, one acupuncture> > room (more Zen decor) and shared executive office, kitchens (one of> > which has been converted to my lab area, bathrooms, waiting room> > (though my patient have not yet had to wait for me!); no insurance>

> contracts at all, but of course, offer invoices/CMS form for patients> > to submit for reimbursement; pay-per-visit or monthly membership> > option for integrative family care; pay-per-visit or 10 visit discount> > option for acupuncture (by far, the majority of my start-up patient> > panel to date is for acupuncture) ; AC for EMR on my Dell laptop which> > I manually backup externally for now; Brother fax/answering> > machine/printer/ scanner/copy for clerical jobs; open accessscheduling> > right now M-F but will do a weekend day if requested since the office> > is so close to home; merchant card processing through a non-profit> > that sends a percentage of each transaction directly to G. Komen> > Breast Cancer Foundation affiliate in Atlanta; toll-free direct> > connect to my cell phone (1-866-MD-INSPIRE) whenever a patient

needs> > me and the 2-day email turnover promise might be too long.> > > > Every day is still a steep learning curve for me, but I am content and> > excited by the possibilities. > > > > Thank you all for your inspiration and advice! Special thanks also to> > Dr. Vargasca for encouraging words on and off-list as I began this> > journey; Dr. Haresch for graciously offering me a spot in your room> > allowing me to go to IMP camp; Drs. and Brady for bolstering> > the dream in small group at IMP camp; Dr. Seto for generously donating> > some key tech items to get me off of the ground- oh, and an advanced> > thank you for adding me to the IMP map!; Dr. Clemensen for actually> > convincing a tech-challenged but willing woman that there was a> > fighting chance that I could build my own website through

brinkster;> > and, of course, to Dr. Gordon because your vision and your> > commitment and your energy and your efforts to realize a better way> > are just so infectious!> > > > P.S. Please check my website http://www.inspire- health.com/index2.html> > and freely offer feedback- I am an eager newbie and will graciously> > accept it! BTW, if you recognize a word, phrase, or theme that seems> > familiar, it is, of course, because I have borrowed here or there. If> > you object at all, let me know so that I can, without offense, resolve> > the issue. I am absolutely a work in progress!> > > > Sorry for the long post, but you know how group therapy can be...> > > > Happy New Year!,> > > > Yolanda C. Wade, M.D.> >

Inspire Health Associates, LLC> > 271 Hwy 74 North, Suite 1> > Peachtree City, Georgia 30269> > > > www.inspire- health.com> > > > Developing holistic health partnerships to inspire wellness.> >>